Every summer at Camp Mini-Yo-We we see over 150 campers that come because of Camper Sponsorship. We’re honoured to welcome kids from families in need into our programs because of generous donors who support our ministry. There are families who need some extra help closing the gap between what they can pay and our camper fee. There are really two broad categories of campers who come on sponsorship:
- Direct Requests // There are families who reach out to us directly looking for financial assistance. We have a process around helping them apply for help and we are able to provide them sponsorship resources as they become available from our donors.
- Partner Organizations // We have a number of strategic partnerships with organizations who serve families in need in our community. They are great organizations who we work with to help some of their children benefit from a Mini-Yo-We experience! We love working with these organizations because they have the same heart to serve kids. Just a few of the the partner organizations we’ve worked with in the past include:
- Prison Fellowship Canada – children from incarcerated parents.
- Muskoka Children’s Aid Society – children from foster homes around our region.
- Kerr Street Mission – children from families in need in Halton Region.
Through this year’s Christmas Campaign we are looking to double the number of kids from one of our favorite partners – CityKidz from Hamilton, Ontario. We love this organization for so many reasons. Here are just a few fast facts that give you a sense of what CityKidz is all about:
- 1 in 4 children in Hamilton live below the low income line. (The national average is closer to 1 in 9)
- They serve approximately 2,000 children every week from across the city.
- Their programs span the ages of 3-17 and include mentoring, weekly lessons, life skill development and leadership.
- It’s fueled by a team of 400+ volunteers that carry their mission forward!
Every summer when they choose children to send to Camp Mini-Yo-We, each camper receives multiple “home visits” before and after their week at Camp to help the child with their experience. We love the intentionality that CityKidz takes with the campers that come to Mini-Yo-We. It’s not just a week away from the city but it’s a part of a broader strategy to help kids grow and develop.
It seems like the admiration is mutual! Check out this cool quote from one of the leaders from CityKidz about their experience in sending their kids to our programs:
“Camp Mini-Yo-We provides life changing experiences for our kids. Throughout the year, we build into our kids weekly through programs within the city. Camp Mini-Yo-We provides our kids with an opportunity to meet with Jesus-sometimes for the first time-in a new environment with staff and cabin leaders who love them. I love Mini-Yo-We because it builds on the truth that CityKidz instills each week-you are known and you are loved.” – Kat Vos, CityKidz Captain
Our goal is to double (or more!) the number of kids that come to Mini-Yo-We this summer through our partnership with CityKidz. They have committed to do all those great in home visits for every kid that we sponsor through this year’s Christmas Campaign! A portion of your gift will help fund this aspect of this year’s campaign as well as our two other strategically important areas.
This is an important time of year for us to fund this area because we want to let CityKidz know early in the new year how many kids our community has sponsored to come for next summer. Your donation towards the Christmas Campaign will help that happen!
Camp Mini-Yo-We loves CityKidz! Let’s make more families in need really happy that their kids will get to experience Camp this summer!
